"Alright, Wanqian. Tell me, what can you do?" Lucía began without beating around the bush. Wanqian, not exactly sure where the question was headed, pondered his response, but the girl hurriedly continued with exasperation. "You're Fengnian. Regardless of how you got here. Your people have a natural ability for magic. Or Qi manipulation, I understand, that's the term you folks use." Wanqian raised his eyes upwards again, contemplating his response. While the question seemed odd at first, the truth was, in a prison of magicians, it was likely an important topic, and having a good relationship with her cellmate was probably the best option. However, the answer wasn't simple, which made her hesitate in verbalizing it, prompting Lucía to press on. "You're not the only one of your race in this wretched shed. Old Li Wei is the other, and if what his flatterers say is true, he's lived at least three hundred years... It's not just the amount of time that's surprising, but the fact that he hasn't died considering his position. I've heard guards whispering that the damned old man is immortal." The girl spoke, scratching her cheek, briefly lost in thought, but instantly turned her eyes back to the young Fengnian, awaiting his response. "So tell me. What can you do?" Lucía's insistence made Wanqian hesitate again.
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"Three hundred years? His flatterers?" he muttered quietly, to which Lucía pushed on again.
"Listen, Wanqian," she began with a firm voice and a determined look. "I'm going to escape from here, and you should do the same. But for that, I need all the help I can get. Maybe Aron and his group of conformists are comfortable here, waiting for death playing the happy family. But I have a world to change outside. So if you're smart, you'll help me with my escape plan." She concluded, sharpening her gaze even more.
Wanqian, feeling overwhelmed, spoke again in a low voice.
"Aron? Happy Family? Escape... And live where?" The last question he accompanied with a look of sadness on his scarred face. There was no room in Nova Orda for them, much less for someone with his eyes and name.
Lucía took a deep breath, relaxing, and lowering her tone.
"I'm sorry, kid, I didn't mean to overwhelm you. But I plan to get out of here, and I haven't seen an opportunity to do so in a long time. Until now, when I have a Feng boy as a cellmate..."
Wanqian looked up at the ceiling and decided to make an effort to get down from his bunk. He sat painfully on the floor, legs crossed in front of the girl who did the same.
"Alright, Lucía. Let's talk," he said, tucking his chin in, almost crestfallen, but looking her in the eyes.